Legendary Venues - Glasgow Apollo

Legendary Venues - Glasgow Apollo
Authored By Johnny Blogger

For 12 years from 1973-1985, Glasgow Apollo was one of rock n roll's premier venues, not just in Britain but in the world. Legendarily noisy and wild, the old Green's Playhouse, built in the 1920s on Renfield Street, was already falling apart, even when it became the Apollo in 1973, but somehow it was the very expression of the heavy rock that was so often played there. In the days before Health and Safety assessments, it was worn out, leaky, dirty and probably dangerous. It was torn down in 1987, but it will never really die as long as the generation that went there lives on. Listen to the Glasgow Choir on Quo Live, singing at the top of their voices. That's what it was all about.

 

Absolutely anyone who was anyone and plenty who were no-one, at the time, played the Apollo, both international, national and local, from Abba to Zappa. Bands often recorded their show at the Apollo simply because the atmosphere was so incredible. There are dozens of bootlegs, but I've tried to research all the officially released records with live music recorded there.

Status Quo - Quo Live. Recorded in its entirety at the Apollo.

The 4th side of Humble Pie's Eat It was recorded at the Greens Playhouse in 1972 before it changed its name.

Wishbone Ash - Live Dates 2. Some tracks.

AC/DC - If You Want Blood, You've Got It

The Ramones - It's Alive. They used the crowd noise from the Apollo, not their music!

Rush - Exit Stage Left. Some tracks.

Gillan - Mutually Assured Destruction.

The Stranglers - Apollo Revisited

Paul McCartney - Coming Up, on 'b' side to the studio version.

Nazareth - Then And Now. Some tracks.

King Crimson - October 23, 1973 Collectors club recording.

King Crimson - The Great Deceiver

Billy Connolly - Get Right Intae Him

Hawkwind - Mind Journey

Wishbone Ash - Distillation

The Rezillos - Mission Accomplished

The Jam - Live Jam

Roxy Music - The High Road

I'm sure there must be others too, as retrospective live albums are being released all the time. I was always surprised the SAHB didn't release a live album recorded there as their shows were legendary.
The website http://www.glasgowapollo.com/ is a wonderful trip down memory lane and a comprehensive archive of who played and when.

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